Baketopia is HBO Max’s new dessert competition series hosted by popular food influencer Rosanna Pansino. She rose to fame after launching a "nerdy" baking series on YouTube, making desserts inspired by video games, movies and TV shows. By 2017, Forbes reported that she was one of the highest-paid female creators on YouTube, all from the channel she originally started as practice for a future as an actress. But her side hustle became her main hustle, and Pansino is now more famous for her baking skills than any of her acting projects. (Most of her roles on shows like "Parks and Recreation" and "Glee " were uncredited.)
Here's everything you need to know about Pansino and its successful, massive food-themed brand.
Rosanna Pansino’s YouTube channel
Pansino rose to fame on YouTube, where she began posting cooking videos in 2011. She is best known for her cooking show Nerdy Nummies , where she bakes Lord of the Rings donuts , Pokemon cake pops, and more.
She also posts videos of herself experimenting with baking trends, such as her recent viral TikTok food videos. Her boyfriend, Mike Lamond (aka YouTube vlogger Husky), often joins her in watching vlogs and various food-themed challenges. Over the years, Panxi Network has had nearly 13 million subscribers.
She has two cookbooks
The natural next step for any baker is a cookbook, and Pansino has two. Her first book , Nerdy Nummies , came out in 2015. It includes recipes for Apple Pi Pie, Periodic Table of Cupcakes, and more. In 2018, she published Baking All Year Round , a cookbook filled with recipe ideas for Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Mother’s Day and other holidays. She told Tube Filter that she hopes her recipes will be read by bakers of all skill levels and "encourage people to have fun with food."
She has expanded into various other business areas
As the brand expands, Pansino has partnered with bakeware company Wilton to add merchandise (you can even buy stuffed animals inspired by her two dogs) and a line of cooking tools. She also produced and hosted specials for the Cooking Channel and even tried her hand at singing.
She shows off her non-baking life on Instagram
While her YouTube channel primarily showcases her love of food, Pansino's Instagram account showcases her life outside of baking. Her account still has plenty of gorgeous dessert photos, but she also shares photos of her dog, her boyfriend, and the progress she's making on her new house.
View on Instagram
Just because she's known for her cooking skills, doesn't mean she can't show off her outfit for the day like other influencers.
View on Instagram
Pansino may have initially wanted to focus on being an actress, but her love of food and success as a YouTuber allowed her to build the brand she has today. Now she's hosting a TV show about baking. After all, she's made it in Hollywood, just in a roundabout (and delicious) way.